Otto Kaifes, 94 (23 ½ leap years), Patriarch of the Kaifes family passed away peacefully in the Thunderstorm Wednesday March 11, 2026. Services for Otto will be Wednesday, March 18, 2026 beginning with Visitation at 9:00-11:00AM, and Mass beginning at 11:00AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 708 N. 4th, KCKS. Inurnment with full military honors will take place that afternoon at Leavenworth National Cemetery at 2:30PM.

Otto was born to Franial and Mary (Gerkovich) Kaifes on February 29th, 1932 on Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas. He enjoyed a mischievous life playing with kids of the neighborhood. Otto attended St. John the Baptist Grade School and Bishop Ward High School (graduating in 1950). He spoke fondly of his classmates and was proud of all the accomplishments they achieved throughout their careers. He always said the Korean War saved his life. He joined the Air Force and flew L.C. Smiths, played basketball overseas, and did a lot of living. He found that everyone was going to college when his friends returned from military service, so he earned his teaching degree from the University of Kansas City.

Otto devoted his life to teaching and shaping young minds. He spent 30 years teaching mathematics at Van Horn High School and continued teaching for 50 years at Longview Community College at night, where thousands of students passed through his classroom. Otto’s personality was electric — engaging, confident, and yes, a little cocky — but that confidence was part of what made him such a powerful teacher. He didn’t just teach math; he challenged students to believe they were capable of more than they thought. His classroom was rarely quiet. Otto loved to push his students, ask tough questions, and keep them on their toes. He believed math was not just about numbers, but about thinking, discipline, and learning how to approach life’s problems with confidence. Students quickly learned that if they were willing to try, Otto would meet them halfway — and usually with a grin and a challenge. He was a master of thinking games, which his students got to learn and play, such as Killer, Black Magic and Magazine.

Oh, and then Baseball and Coaching! Coach Kaifes started the baseball program at Van Horn where he proceeded to coach for free and drug his wife Carol into running the concession stand, which meant his kids had to help by either taking money at the gate or cooking the hot dogs. His coaching was legendary and so were his fundraisers. He still says his students "got him back" after no one said a word to him all day after he hit a baseline hookshot-- one from the corner right hand and one from the corner left hand. Otto lost his partner in crime, his loving wife Carol, in May of 2022. They were married for 65 years, but before that, the memories the grandchildren have were of them going together to every sporting event in the Cadillac. From sitting in the outfield, to watching, to  sitting in the front row for basketball games, Grandpa and Grandma were always there. Grandpa and Grandma would also put a spread on every holiday. He would play Santa for the group, which kept growing. He'd have the basketball goal set up, and even on this last Christmas he would sit out on the bench and tell the kids how to shoot. July 4th was always epic; in the early days, Otto would get fireworks from a teaching friend... where he proceeded to let us go crazy with'em, but made everyone glove up and wear proper foot gear. We would have a couple bottle rocket fights with our dear neighbors. Once his children started having their own families, and fireworks were still legal in KCK, the grandchildren were introduced to a proper July 4th celebration.

Otto taught his kids the importance of practice, preparation, poise and performance on and off the field of life. He was so proud of his kids all being college graduates, and soon his grandchildren will all have degrees. Otto was a crushing trash talker. Crushing because he backed up all his talk with perfect strokes, shooting, golfing and bowling. He could play any game with style and made sure his kids could perform just as well. Otto threw thousands of hours of batting practice to his boys. Would rebound bucket after bucket and would say “Do you feel it? Muscle magic baby!” He worked tirelessly to help his kids learn the games they played in, and it didn’t stop with his kids but the grandkids were out there with Grandpa getting coaching tips. Not all of his teaching to his family was about sports, as he had to frequently tutor his kids and grandkids in math. Sometimes not the most pleasant experience for all involved. (2 Cats and 3 Dogs)

He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers, sisters and beloved wife Carol. Otto is deeply missed and survived by his large, loving family, consisting of his son, Kurt (Leigh Anne) Kaifes; grandchildren Meghan (Jordan) Bills, Anne (Maxwell) Franklin, and Caroline (Will) Parham; great-grandchildren Eleanor, Evelyn, Henry, and Theodore Bills; Maxwell Jr., George and John Franklin; and Lillian and Madeleine Parham; along with his son Gregg Kaifes; and grandchildren Elizabeth (Brady) Tepesch and Sam Kaifes; great-grandchildren Otto Tepesch; his son Eric Kaifes, grandchildren Conner (Kylie) Kaifes, Catherine Kaifes, Cooper Kaifes, Claire Kaifes, and Carter Kaifes; his son Otto (Lori) Kaifes; grandchildren Otto Kaifes, Spencer Kaifes, Logan Kaifes, (Schyler Dodd); his son Kent Kaifes; as well as his daughter Carrie (Tom) Lally, grandchildren Lucy Lally and Tommy Lally. Otto had many dear nieces and nephews. And last but not least, his beloved dog, Deuce, who got him through the last couple years.